{"id":2411,"date":"2025-09-07T01:54:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T01:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/?p=2411"},"modified":"2025-09-07T02:11:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T02:11:12","slug":"after-the-story-fails-chapter-three-comfortable-purgatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/07\/after-the-story-fails-chapter-three-comfortable-purgatory\/","title":{"rendered":"After The Story Fails Chapter Three: Comfortable Purgatory"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2411\" class=\"elementor elementor-2411\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-537e7c1 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"537e7c1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51fa86f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"51fa86f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-98b1966 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"98b1966\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;hosted&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-hosted-video elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<video class=\"elementor-video\" src=\"http:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Comfortable_Purgatory.mp4\" controls=\"\" preload=\"metadata\" controlsList=\"nodownload\"><\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db0de25 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"db0de25\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79dee55 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"79dee55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"82\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"82\">You\u2019re not ascending. You\u2019re not falling. You\u2019re buffering.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"142\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"143\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"143\">It doesn\u2019t feel like hell.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"170\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"170\">That\u2019s how it gets you.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"194\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"195\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"195\">Hell is sharp. Loud. Urgent.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"224\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"224\">Hell demands action. Escape. Screaming.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"264\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"265\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"265\">But this place?<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"281\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"281\">This is the hallway where nothing burns, and nothing heals.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"341\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"341\">Where your pain is &#8220;manageable&#8221; and your hunger is &#8220;mostly filled&#8221;<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"408\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"408\">with carbs, content, and conditioned response.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"455\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"456\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"456\">Welcome to Comfortable Purgatory.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"490\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"490\">Population: most of modern humanity.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"527\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"528\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"528\">You\u2019re not stuck because you\u2019re weak.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"566\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"566\">You\u2019re stuck because you learned how to function just well enough not to risk change.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"652\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"652\">You\u2019ve got the login. You\u2019ve got the monthly subscription.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"711\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"711\">You\u2019ve got people telling you, \u201cIt\u2019s not that bad.\u201d<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"763\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"764\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"764\">And they\u2019re right.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"783\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"783\">It\u2019s not that bad.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"802\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"802\">That\u2019s the curse.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"820\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"821\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"821\">It\u2019s the 72\u00b0F spiritual thermostat of the West.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"869\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"869\">No one\u2019s kicking your door in.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"900\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"900\">But no one\u2019s knocking with purpose either.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"943\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"944\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"944\">You scroll.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"956\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"956\">You optimize.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"970\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"970\">You read thinkpieces about burnout during your break from being burned out.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1046\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1046\">You \u201clike\u201d memes about dopamine resets while watching your fifth dopamine loop of the night.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1139\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1140\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1140\">You call it \u201ccoping.\u201d<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1162\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1162\">But you\u2019re not coping.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1185\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1185\">You\u2019re complying with anesthetics.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1220\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1221\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1221\">Somewhere inside you, something still twitches.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1269\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1269\">Something old. Animal.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1292\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1292\">It growls in the silence between binge and bedtime.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1344\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1345\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1345\">But you\u2019ve learned to hush it.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1376\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1376\">To brush its fur backward with mindfulness apps and gratitude journals you never finish.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1465\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1466\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1466\">Because to listen to it would be to leave this place.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1520\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1521\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1521\">And leaving means losing what little structure still protects you.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1588\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1588\">Even if that structure is just the shape of your cage.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1643\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1644\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1644\">The worst prisons let you decorate.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1680\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1680\">The worst addictions are socially acceptable.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1726\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1726\">The worst myths are half true.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1757\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1757\">But if you\u2019re reading this\u2014<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1785\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1785\">really reading it\u2014<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1804\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1804\">then maybe you\u2019re already pacing the edge of the room.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1859\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1860\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1860\">Maybe you&#8217;re realizing this isn&#8217;t a hallway.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1905\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1905\">It&#8217;s a loop.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1918\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"1918\">And the only way out is to stop walking in circles that someone else called &#8220;healing.&#8221;<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2005\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2006\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2006\">Because healing without rupture isn\u2019t healing.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2053\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2053\">It\u2019s sedation.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2068\">\u00a0<\/div><div class=\"paragraph normal ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2069\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\" data-start-index=\"2069\">And you didn\u2019t come this far to go numb beautifully.<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"http:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Comfortable_Purgatory.mp4You&rsquo;re not ascending. You&rsquo;re not falling. You&rsquo;re buffering.&nbsp;It doesn&rsquo;t feel like hell.That&rsquo;s how it gets you.&nbsp;Hell is sharp.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2411","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized","7":"cs-entry","8":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2411"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2421,"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411\/revisions\/2421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlespauljones.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}